Product Summary

A PTFE Sleeve Bearing is a kind of cylindrical ball bearing. It got its name from having a single internal rotating cylinder inside it. PTFE Sleeve Bearings are porous, so they draw up the oil applied on the outer sleeve and are known as self-lubricating.

PTFE Sleeve Bearings are a kind of plain bearing--that is, ball bearings with few moving parts. Many spherical ball bearings have an internal ring, which is lined with smaller balls inside. In contrast to regular ball bearings, a PTFE Sleeve Bearing only has two moving parts; the outer sleeve and the inner rotating cylinder. They are also known as journal bearings, after the technical term for the outer sleeve. The outer journey of a PTFE Sleeve Bearing may be whole, split, or clenched between the two halves.

PTFE Sleeve Bearings are made of compressed powdered metal, such as bronze or copper. Because of the material from which they are made, the metal is microscopically porous. When they are oiled on the outside, the oil will be drawn up through the pores to lubricate the inner cylinder. A PTFE Sleeve Bearing can be lubricated in a number of ways besides oiling. Sometimes, molten metal or graphite is used. Some man-made polymers can lubricate moving parts without seizing up in extremely cold temperatures. Other PTFE Sleeve Bearings are surfaced with porous, oiled hardwood so that the oil will be drawn up into them more readily.